


Before

by GoldFlakes



Series: All the disaster of life [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Comfort, Crushes, F/M, Getting Together, Introverts in Love, Kidge - Freeform, Love, Motorcycles, highschool, relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 04:42:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15259680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldFlakes/pseuds/GoldFlakes
Summary: Her crush on Keith came on rather strong after that night. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed his attractiveness before- she had. Despite Lance's constant criticism of his clothes and his hair, she thought he always looked pretty nice. And he was always nice to her.There was just something about him that was always out of reach. She had no idea how he felt about her, but that night of kindness sparked a realization. Keith cared for her. She knew that, in theory, but seeing him act so soft and gentle with her made it real. He had offered to drive her to school in the mornings, and she couldn't refuse a chance to ride with him again. Morning rides turned into late night joyrides. Sometimes he'd stand outside her window at midnight and throw woodchips until she heard him."You want to go for a ride?" He'd ask, and she'd always say yes. They'd rush down the open roads, his inky hair whipping around in the brilliant night. She relished in holding onto him, and feeling the tight, lean muscles beneath her. He made her feel alive.





	1. 1

Pidge remembers the first time she climbed onto the back of Keith's motorcycle in vivid detail. It was about three years ago, before they started dating.  
The circumstances weren't the best, but she is thankful for the result. That night sparked something that would burn in her for a few months before she finally confessed.  
It was a rainy night, dreary and crisp. She had been waiting outside the Italian restaurant for about an hour. It wasn't a super fancy restaurant, and it wasn't really all that extraordinary of a date, but for once she had worn a dress. Anyone who knew her knew that she didn't wear dresses. She wore them when she was younger, but as she grew up her style changed and she preferred looser, more tomboyish clothes. Usually a t-shirt and jeans, or a hoodie and jeans. She didn't even own a dress anymore. For some reason this boy had prompted a change in wardrobe. Lance had actually taken her to his mom's boutique to buy the dress, a velvety forest green skater dress. Not only was she wearing a velvet dress, but she wore sparkly green heels and had her hair woven into intricate French braids that looped behind her head. Lance had done her makeup, a skill that she normally teased him for. For once she was thankful that Lance was so beauty conscious (or vain, as she liked to tell him). When he was done, he told her she looked like a forest pixie. Hunk said she looked like a fairy queen. Lance even bought her contacts. She felt so unlike herself.  
She waited outside, umbrella in hand. She tapped her foot on the cement of the sidewalk, watching people enter and exit. They all seemed to glow, despite the grim weather. It had been over an hour now, and no sign of her date.  
Normally, she would have left after about twenty minutes and just told him she was done. If it was any guy, she wouldn't have waited so long. The problem was, she really liked him. She liked him since her Freshman year of highschool. At one point, before she understood what real love was, she thought she was in love with him. How naive she was then.  
She didn't even know the guy, except for what she observed from afar.  
He fascinated her. Anything Pidge couldn't understand, she was determined to figure out. This boy stumped her and drove her wild.  
His name was Aaron. He was lean, with a sinewy figure and high cheekbones. He had beautiful long golden hair that curled by his ears. His arms were heavily inked, with drawings of birds with open wings and swords and halfmoons. She found him to be just as strange and whimsical as his odd assortment of tattoos. He was an artist, his style light and airy, much like his hair. She saw a lot of his sketches when she sat behind him in class. He rarely spoke in class, but when she heard him talking in the hallways his voice was smooth and rich, much deeper than she expected it to be.  
She had a crush on him for forever, and had finally befriended him that semester. They weren't really friends as much as acquaintances. He asked her out, and that's what led to her waiting outside a restaurant at 8 at night in the rain.  
It was getting cold. Her arms prickled and she felt herself shivering.  
She wasn't sure if she was being stood up or if something had happened to him. He didn't seem like a jerk. He also didn't exactly exude sweetness either. He looked cute, and that gave her the illusion that he was nice. Either way, she felt like crap. She liked him so much, more than she had ever liked a boy before. She sat down on the sidewalk step and stared out into the dark night. This was stupid. She tried to feel angry, or apathetic, or anything besides betrayed to keep the tears from leaving her tear ducts. She was not one of those girls, who cried over boys. She was smart and independent and... And...  
Still just a girl who had feelings.  
She felt a pang of anger. She ripped out her hair from its style, and pulled off her shoes from her feet and threw them into the dirt. She cursed at the sky, and then the tears fell.  
She was so stupid. Why would she do all this to herself, for someone who hardly knew her, who could easily charm any girl he wanted? She was the one who pushed him into the date, not him. So he probably didn't care about her at all.  
She buried her head in her hands. She heard the distant honk of cars, and revving engines, and the sound of water splashing on cement.  
She sat there, crying silently, when she heard what sounded like a motorbike. She knew Aaron had a motorcycle. She looked up, suddenly mortified. So he did show up after all! He couldn't see her like this- she scrubbed at her face, cursing as trails of sparkly pink powder came off on her fingertips.  
"Pidge?"  
But it wasn't Aaron. The voice was softer, slightly raspy, not quite as deep.  
The boy on the motorcycle took off his helmet and set it down on the seat. She saw his hair and his red jacket and instantly realized it was Keith.  
She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or embarrassed. At least Aaron hadn't seen her in this pathetic state. But Keith was her friend, and she didn't want him to see her like this. Pitiful and pining over some stupid snob.  
He walked over to her slowly, as if he were approaching a stray cat.  
"What happened? Are you okay?" He asked her. His voice was softer than usual, and hearing the gentleness in his tone just made her start crying again. He looked a little taken a back, like he'd never seen her cry before. He had though, she was sure he had. Maybe he hadn't? How long had they known each other? Their brothers were childhood friends, so she'd always seen him, always known him, but they had never been close. It wasn't until highschool that she really started hanging out with him out of her own accord. They were close at that point, in a different way then she was close with Hunk and Lance. Keith was more introverted and introspective than either of them. She was introverted herself, and hanging out with Keith often felt a lot less draining than hanging out with the others boys. It just felt different, in a way she didn't entirely understand.  
He sat on the step next to her. She felt a weight across her shoulders. She turned to look at him, seeing his arms were bare. He gave her his jacket. She pulled it around her, putting her arms through the sleeves.  
"Thank you," she murmured. He nodded.  
He looked concerned, and sort of sheepish. His brows furrowed.  
"Did a guy do this to you? Do you want me to fight him?"  
"No-no-"  
"Because I will," he said. "I'll cut his heart clean out of his chest."  
She realized he was joking, and his concern touched her, but she also realized he was kind of serious. Keith really would do something like that for his friends. That was something she loved about him- his fierce loyalty and ferocious love. Even if he didn't always express it with words, she knew he loved the few people he let get close to him.  
"That won't solve anything," she said, sniffling.  
"Are you hurt?" he asked, his fingers brushing against her cheek. She shivered at the touch. She shook her head, and his hand fell away.  
"Only in my heart," she grumbled.  
He looked at her hesitantly, as if he was debating his next action. She really just wanted someone to hug her and tell her that men were stupid and she didn't need one to be happy. That she was better than this. Keith didn't do that exactly. What he did had an even better effect.  
He took her hand in his and said, "It's okay if you don't want to tell me. Want to come back to my house and watch a movie with me and Shiro?"  
She stared at his hand.  
"Y-yeah. Sure."  
"Forget that stupid creep. He doesn't know what he's missing," Keith said, smiling a small smile at her. "I'd spend a night with you any day over whatever that dick is doing right now."  
She tried to ignore how this made her head rush.  
He helped her up, guiding her over to his motorcycle. His hand anchored her.  
"What happened to your shoes?" He asked, noticing her bare feet.  
"I threw them in my rage," she responded.  
He chuckled. "I'll get them for you."  
He fished them out of the dirt and plants, brushing them off before he handed them back to her. She stepped back into them, and then he handed her his helmet.  
"What about you-"  
"I think there's a lot more to lose in your head than mine," he said. He got into the bike, motioning for her to get on behind him. She fastened his helmet on her head.  
She climbed on, wrapping her arms around his waist. She was struck by how small and slender his waist was, yet how rock solid it felt on her arms. Keith was small, but entirely muscle.  
As he sped up and left the restaurant, she felt a rush of adrenaline. She snuggled her cheek into his back. The feeling of whizzing down the road completely distracted her from her heartbreak. She laughed out loud.  
She loved it.

When they got to his house, he guided her to the bathroom, still holding her hand.  
"Is it okay if I clean your face off?" He asked softly.  
She nodded.  
She sat on the edge of the toilet seat while Keith cleaned her face of tears and smeared makeup. He was so gentle and tender with her, she found her face heating up. He read this as her getting upset again, so he stopped.  
"Keith, are you home-" Shiro paused in the doorframe when he saw them. He wasn't wearing his prosthetic, so his arm was just a stump that stopped before his sleeve ended. She tried not to stare.  
"What happened?" He asked. He saw Pidge sitting on the toilet seat in Keith's jacket, while he scrubbed away the black mascara tracks that ran down her cheeks.  
He looked at Keith curiously.  
"I'm okay," Pidge said.  
"Pidge is going to watch a movie with us tonight. Is that okay?" Keith asked, averting his gaze.  
Shiro blinked at him. "Yeah. Of course it is. Just let me know if you need anything Pidge. If there's someone I need to beat up-"  
"That won't be necessary," she said. She couldn't help but smile to herself at how protective they were of her.  
When she was all cleaned up, she settled herself on the couch next to Keith as Shiro put some popcorn in the microwave.  
"What are we watching?" She asked.  
"We were thinking something Marvel," Keith said.  
"I'm always down for that."  
They ended up watching Guardians of the Galaxy, because Keith knew it was one of her favorite movies.  
She settled against him, resting her chin on his shoulder. Somewhere during the movie he put his arm around her, though by that point she fell asleep, and would never know. 

Her crush on Keith came on rather strong after that night. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed his attractiveness before- she had. Despite Lance's constant criticism of his clothes and his hair, she thought he always looked pretty nice. And he was always nice to her. There was just something about him that was always out of reach. She had no idea how he felt about her, but that night of kindness sparked a realization. Keith cared for her. She knew that, in theory, but seeing him act so soft and gentle with her made it real. He had offered to drive her to school in the mornings, and she couldn't refuse a chance to ride with him again. Morning rides turned into late night joyrides. Sometimes he'd stand outside her window at midnight and throw woodchips until she heard him.  
"You want to go for a ride?" He'd ask, and she'd always say yes. They'd rush down the open roads, his inky hair whipping around in the brilliant night. She relished in holding onto him, and feeling the tight, lean muscles beneath her. He made her feel alive.  
Some nights they'd stop in the woods and run down to the lake, where they'd sit on a large rock and talk about whatever was on their minds at that time. She didn't really like being in the woods at night. With Keith it was different. She could be anywhere with him and she'd feel safe. She knew he'd protect her.  
She got to know him in a deeper way than she knew him before. She would wake up everyday excited to see him, excited for him to drive her to school. They didn't say much in the mornings, but they didn't have to. He'd just flash her his small Keith smirk-smile, and that was all she needed.  
This went on for some time, until it was no longer a secret to either of their brothers.  
"So I guess you have a type," Matt said one day, when Keith was a little late so he caught sight of him pulling up.  
"We're just friends," she said. "You know that."  
"Yeah, sure. Then how come you write his name in your notebooks? And draw little chibis with mullets? And hearts?"  
"I don't!" She shoved him.  
"I know you guys go out at night."  
"I don't know what you're talking about," she huffed.  
"If you like him, you should tell him. That boy is dense as a rock."  
Pidge ignored his advise. 

Shiro approached her a little while after. He was at her house, waiting for Matt to get ready to go with him to the gym. They were both in the living room.  
"Pidge," he said. Something about his tone scared her.  
"Yeah?"  
"I need to talk to you about something," he said.  
"Okay. What is it?"  
"It's about my brother."  
Somehow she knew this would happen. She tried to act innocent.  
"What do you mean?"  
Shiro gave her a look. "You know what I mean."  
"No don't think I do-"  
"Pidge. Stop. We all know."  
"Who is "we all"?"  
"Me, Matt, Hunk, Lance."  
"How do Lance and Hunk know?" She asked.  
"They see you and Keith come to school together in the mornings."  
"That doesn't mean anything."  
"Maybe it doesn't mean anything to you but it means something to him."  
She felt her heart pounding in her cheeks.  
"Huh?"  
"I'm saying this to you as his brother. He doesn't trust a lot of people. He also has a hard time accepting the fact that people love him. So- if you care about him, tell him. He's not going to be able to accept it on his own."


	2. 2

She tried to build up the courage to tell him. Every time she would start, she felt like she was about to throw up. She ended up telling him things like "I really like the color of your jacket" or "Your mullet isn't that bad". She just couldn't say the words she wanted to say to him. He'd tilt his head a bit and give her a clueless look, and then she'd regret her whole life.  
She laid in bed one night, staring at the glow in the dark stars on her ceiling. They let off a faintly turquoise glow in the grey night. She listened to the hum of the vents and the drippy pipes in the bathroom. All she could think about was Keith. His long, lithe limbs, his strong torso, his nicely toned butt. She really liked it- his jeans made it look so good. She felt embarrassed that she could even think that about him, Keith, the emo kid who always hung around Shiro and Matt. The boy who still wore fingerless gloves and leather even in the heat.  
This was a disaster- she was absolutely smitten.  
She thought about what it would feel like to touch his hair when she heard a soft knock on her door. She startled, sitting upright. She looked at the glowing alarm clock by her bed. It was 1 in the morning.  
"Keith?" She asked stupidly.  
The handle turned and Matt stood laughing. He sounded like a sick hyena. She thought about throwing a giant chunk of rock she had on her dresser at him.  
"Wow. You're crazy about that kid," he said. "You think I'm him. Is my hair really that long now?"  
"Shut up," she said, taking a pillow out from under her back to throw at his head. He ducked behind the door.  
"Well, I wanted to tell you something about him," Matt said.  
She held another pillow on the air, ready to strike.  
"At 1 in the morning?"  
"You're going to want to hear this," he said.  
"What is it?" She asked, still holding the pillow in the air.  
"He's outside your window right now."  
Without thinking, she dashed over to check. Matt laughed at her enthusiasm.  
She pulled away the blinds, and found that he was telling the truth. Keith walked up to the side of their house and peered up at her. He was ready to throw something before he saw her face.  
"You're welcome," Matt snickered, walking out of her doorway. "Have fun with Mr. Edge-McEdge lord."  
She fumbled to get her window open. Once she pulled it up enough for her to stick her head out, she called to him.  
"Keith!"  
He gave her his small smirk smile.  
"Hey," he said.  
"What are you doing here so late? Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, everything's fine. I just wanted to see you."  
Oh. She tried to hide her blush.  
"Well, you're seeing me."  
He smirked. "You know what I meant. Are you up for a ride?"  
She was always up for a ride with him.  
"I look like trash," she said. "And I smell like a hobo."  
"I don't care. Get dressed and come down," he said, heading over to his bike.  
"We have school tomorrow!" She protested.  
"I know."  
"I'm not a morning person," she said. "I need my sleep."  
"Well, I'll guess we'll just have to go in late then," he winked.  
He was driving her mad.  
Pidge rushed over to her drawers and put on her glasses and a bra. She slipped into a t-shirt and some cargo shorts.  
When she snuck out of her house, she found Keith waiting for her with two helmets. She blinked at him. "You got this for me?"  
"Yeah."  
It was lime green, with a little smiley face sticker on the side.  
"I thought it would be nice, so both our heads are safe," he said.  
"Thank you," she said, still examining it.  
"Of course."  
She put it on, and then climbed on behind him. She felt a rush to her heart as she hugged his torso. He took off, and she squeezed him tighter.  
The whole time her heart thumped in her cheeks. They glided down the rode, and she felt familiar adrenaline in her bones. If they stopped somewhere on the road, that would be her chance to tell him- but she didn't want to, she didn't want to distract him. She didn't want to ruin what they had. He sped up and she screamed in delight. The went up and down the roads, zooming past trees and sleepy suburban houses. He stopped by the woods.  
"Are we-"  
He grabbed her hand and tugged her after.  
She guessed they were. He led her down the path and through the woods until they got to a clearing. She had to admit, she was a little creeped out. The trees were black and skeletal against the midnight blue sky. They extended to the heavens like tangled wires.  
"You're not planning on murdering me out here are you," she laughed nervously.  
"I'd miss you too much," he said simply.  
She didn't even know how to respond to that.  
They stood in the deep forest, surrounded by the spindly trunks of trees and the distant chirp of crickets.  
"You like the night," She said.  
He nodded. "It's quiet. Less people out to bother me."  
"Why did you bring me here?"  
He shrugged. "I needed to get out. Let's go down to the lake."  
He tugged her after him, and they went down a small trail that led through the woods. When they got down to the lake, they took up their usual residence on the rock. She hummed happily as she watched Keith sharpen his knife on a stone. He stared at it with narrowed brows, each stroke of the blade sending out a "Ching" sound. His strokes seemed tense and somewhat clumsy.  
"What are you thinking about?" She asked him.  
He paused for a second, and then went right back to it.  
"I was thinking about Shiro."  
"Oh. Is he doing okay?"  
"Yeah- well, no. I don't know. He's been having nightmares. He wakes me up sometimes."  
"Oh. I'm sorry."  
"Not your fault," he said. "I just worry about him. He always acts like he's fine."  
"Huh. I wonder where he learned that from," Pidge said, bumping his shoulder with hers.  
"Don't know. I just needed to get out of the house. You make me feel calmer," he said.  
"Really? How?"  
"I don't know. You just do."  
She thought about telling him. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.  
"Thanks. I'm glad," she said. 

 

Time passed and not much changed. Pidge started to give up on anything ever happening between them. A part of her felt irritated that he wasn't going to initiate, but the other part respected him for respecting her and always treating her with such dignity. She decided to let go and try and spend more time with her friends to get her mind off of him.  
Pidge and Lance sat together on the lawn, eating their lunch. When the weather got nice the students at their school were allowed to eat outside, provided they clean up after themselves and didn't leave trash in the grass.  
Lance and Pidge sat by a tree on a dark blue picnic blanket, all their food spread out before them. Hunk walked over to join them, dropping his bag by Lance's head. Students sat in groups on the grass, all chattering. A few kids played volleyball over by the volleyball net.  
"Ow," Lance said, pushing the backpack away.  
"It didn't even hit you," Hunk said, sitting down next to Pidge.  
"Yes it did!"  
Pidge wasn't paying attention to either of them. She sat propped against the tree in her round hippie sunglasses, staring at where Keith was walking down the steps. He had his hair tied up that day, and he wore black cargo shorts and a dark red shirt. She admired him from afar until she noticed some girl talking to him. She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. Did he laugh? Did some random girl make her Keith laugh? She imagined it. It looked like he was smiling. Why was he smiling?  
Hunk noticed her pouting and nudged Lance. Lance glanced up at her, and then followed her gaze. His eyes widened in understanding. He exchanged a knowing look with Hunk, stifling his laughter. He reached out and tugged on her arm. When she didn't respond, he did it again, gaining the same reaction.  
"Pidge. You there?"  
He waved his hand in front of her face. She blinked back into being, startled. "Huh? What? Oh. Yeah, yeah I'm here-"  
Hunk laughed. "You're hopeless."  
"Me or Lance?" She asked.  
"I mean, both of you are. But right now I'm talking about you."  
"I don't know what you mean."  
"You said you were over him," Lance stated. He took a bite into his sandwhich, flipping on his side so he's facing her. He chewed thoughtfully, in such a ridiculous manner that Pidge had to shove him. "You said you didn't want to stress about him anymore," he said.  
"I am. I don't," she said.  
"Then how come you're staring at him and glaring?" Hunk asked.  
"I'm not," she growled. "I'm just spacing out-"  
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'm just going to go over and tell that mullet you like him because this is exhausting to watch," Lance said.  
"No! No!" Pidge grabbed him. "Please don't-"  
"Pidge-"  
"Lance. I mean it. If you value our friendship you won't."  
Lance sighed loudly. "Then stop pining and ignoring us. You're never here anymore."  
"Tell him after school. He's taking you home?" Hunk asked.  
She nodded, averting his gaze.  
"So tell him then. Okay? If you won't one of us will," Hunk said.  
"Okay- okay. Fine. Yeah."

 

She would have told him after school, except for what happened in the hallway. She spaced out, walking to class with her bookbag half slung over her shoulder, her beanie slouched and falling off her head. She was thinking about nachos, and how much she wanted to go home so she could eat and read Matt's sci fi novel he was close to finishing. They often wrote stories together as kids, and it had been a long time since he let her read his stuff. As she thought about all this, some guy bumped into her. In the process he somehow squeezed her left butt cheek. He mumbled an apology. She barely had time to register what happened when she saw Keith flying at him, punching him in the face and then tackling him to the ground. Her eyes grew and she nearly shrieked. She saw the boy splayed out on the floor, Keith decking him in the face repeatedly.  
"Keith!" She screamed. "Stop!"  
She tossed her bookbag on the floor and tore Keith off of him. It was not an easy feat.  
"Stop-"  
He looked feral, panting and struggling. He shook her off.  
"No."  
"I'm fine. It was an accident- you need to calm down," she said, raising her voice.  
A crowd gathered, some of them filming it on their phones. The kid got up, spit, and then glared at Pidge.  
"Tell your boyfriend to control himself," he snarled.  
"When you learn to keep your hands to yourself," Keith fired back.  
Pidge extended an arm to keep Keith from lunging again. "I'm sorry-" she started.  
The kid cursed at Keith before he shoved past him. Pidge had to physically restrain Keith from reacting to it. When the boy left, she spun around to yell at Keith.  
"What the hell?" She yelled. "Why did you do that?"  
"He was a perv."  
"It was an accident-"  
"Like hell it was Pidge!" He yelled.  
She startled, stepping back. His voice echoed through the hall.  
"That wasn't an accident and you know it. I'm not letting anyone treat you that way," he growled.  
"I can handle myself-"  
"I don't care. I want to protect you."  
She blinked at him. "Why?"  
"B-because. Because I do."  
"Well I never asked you to," she said. "You're not my boyfriend."  
He flinched.  
She sighed, glancing at her watch. "I have to get to class."  
"Wait, Pidge-"  
"We'll talk about this later. Don't go punching anyone else."  
She walked away from him, feeling a bomb of conflicting emotions erupting inside her soul. She burned, in anger, in desire, in embarrassment- in something she didn't know the name for. She walked into class and sat behind Hunk, still fuming. He noticed her mood, turning around to sit backwards on his seat.  
"What did Lance do?" He asked.  
"It wasn't Lance. It was Keith," she murmured.  
"He rejected you?" Hunk asked, surprised.  
"Shhh! Not so loud. And no. He did not reject me."  
"Good. Cuz Lance would kill him."  
"Like he could," Pidge grunted. She slid down into her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. She wanted to disappear. "I don't want to talk about this."  
He pouted. "Are you okay?"  
"I will be if you stop asking me."  
Hunk raised his arms in surrender. "Okay, I'm sorry. Pidge is grumpy. I get it."  
He turned back around and started flipping through his textbook.  
"I'm not grumpy," she said. She crossed her arms over her desk and buried her head in them.  
She was and wasn't mad at Keith. The truth was she liked it- liked him defending her- but it also wasn't right for him to start attacking someone. She just wanted to be with him. But she wanted him to ask her out. Why couldn't he just ask her out already?  
Class ended and she went to get her stuff out of her locker before she went outside. She felt anxious about riding home with Keith after their little disagreement.  
When she walked outside to their usual spot, she found his bike gone.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I love Hunk with all my heart, and I adore his interactions with both Pidge and Keith. This chapter is a little inspired by the cute little hug and talk Keith and Hunk had in season 7, now featuring super emo Keith. Enjoy.  
> Also comments encourage me to update faster so please leave feedback if you'd like me to continue!!  
> <3

Hunk decided he had enough of Pidge’s moodiness and hopeless, endless pining. He saw Keith leave school without her, a tight scowl on his face as he drove away. He saw Pidge walk down to the curb to wait for him. He saw her shoulders slump when she realized he left without her. He saw her grip tighten on her green backpack straps as she spun around. She darted down the sidewalk, disappearing in the mass of students before he had the change to ask her if she was okay. He sighed, watching the flood of students exit the school. Lance followed them gradually, stopping mid-step to talk to a group of girls wearing pastel dresses. Hunk waited, watching Lance preen. One of the girls listened to him kindly, but the rest watched with dull expressions. Hunk rolled his eyes. This might take a while.  
“Lance!” He called.  
When Lance turned his head, the girls scoffed and walked away.  
“Dude,” he whined.  
Hunk shook his head. That boy would never change. “C’mon. Let’s go home,” he said.  
They left the school and walked down the sidewalk in silence. Lance scuffed up some dirt with his sneaker, fidgeting anxiously. Hunk thought about Pidge, and he could tell Lance was doing the same. They turned to look at each other when Lance blurted, “I think you should go talk to Keith.”  
Hunk stared at him. “Why me?”  
“He’ll actually listen to you. He’ll just get annoyed at me.”  
“Because every time you interact with him you antagonize him.”  
“Exactly why you should talk to him. He doesn’t hate you.”  
“What do you want me to say?”  
Lance frowned. “Tell him to stop messing with Pidge’s heart and to leave her alone.”  
“I don’t know...I think they’re in a fight right now.”  
“So tell him to man up and apologize to her.”  
Hunk laughed. “Lance.”  
“I’m just telling the truth!”  
“I’ll talk to him. Don’t know what I’ll say, but I’ll figure it out.”  
Lance shrugged. “Alright bro. Man, Pidge has sucky taste in men.”  
“Yeah, I know. She used to like you.”  
Lance sputtered like he just drank some rotten milk. “What?”  
“Just kidding. See ya later man.”  
Hunk left Lance gasping on the sidewalk in front of his house. He started walking in the direction of his own home, before he saw Shiro outside mowing the lawn. So that was where Keith lived. He knew it was close to Lance, but he didn’t realize they were right across the street from each other. He waved to Shiro, who waved back.  
“Shiro!” He called. He ran across the street to stand in front of Shiro’s lawn. Shiro stopped mowing for a minute. Wow, that man was beefy.  
“Oh, Hi Hunk. How are you doing today?” He asked politely.  
“I’m fine-uh- Is Keith home?”  
Shiro’s eyebrows shot up. Hunk and Keith didn’t talk much. Hunk really only knew Shiro through Matt.  
“Uh, he was. I’m not sure where he went though. He came in for a minute and then left without telling me where he was going.”  
“Did he seem upset?”  
Shiro narrowed his eyes. “What do you know?”  
“Uh! Nothing- nothing. I mean-” Hunk sighed. Shiro eyed his suspiciously.  
“Uh. He and Pidge might have had a small fight.”  
Shiro processed this. A wave of something spread over his face. Hunk couldn’t tell what he felt, but he knew he was thinking.  
“That...explains a lot.” Shiro murmured.  
“Yeah...so….you know where he might have gone?”  
Shiro thought for a moment. “Probably the gym. Either the gym or he went for a run. He usually works out when he’s in a mood.”  
“Gotcha. Where does he usually run?”  
“I think it varies. Sometimes in the woods. Sometimes around the neighborhood.”  
Hunk nodded. “Got it. Thanks.”  
“Yeah. Try and talk him down if you can.”  
“Will do.”  
Hunk decided to start by walking through the neighborhood in the hopes of spotting the lean form of Keith Kogane jogging away his feelings. Although the weather was nice earlier, it grew crisper with the late afternoon. He walked down the idyllic suburban driveways, spotting groups of teenage girls taking selfies in their backyards and children playing with their dogs on their lawns. He kept walking as the sun grew less present and the air turned foggy and gray. His legs ached and there was still no sign of the mullet haired teen. The gym then? He walked back to his house and dropped off his bag in the kitchen.  
“I’m going to see a friend,” he told his mom. “I’m taking my car.”  
“Please be back before nine,” she said.  
He took his car out of the garage and drove to the nearest gym. He was determined to find Keith and put all of this to rest. Pidge was one of his best friends. He hated seeing her like this.  
He wasn’t sure what he would say when he found Keith- they weren’t exactly the best of friends. They were pretty different personality wise. Hunk loved everyone and was often referred to by Pidge as a “soft boy”. Keith could be cold and distant, and there didn’t seem to be many people that he liked. Hunk decided he would gauge the situation once he found Keith. He was good with people, if not a bit awkward at times. He would know what to do.  
He wasn’t exactly prepared to walk into the gym to find a shirtless Keith pounding away at a punching bag as if it had murdered Shiro.  
“You need a membership to go back there,” the lady at the front desk said as he walked in. She had obviously dyed dark hair, and very nicely filled in brows. She filed her nails and looked at him with a dull expression.  
“Oh. Yeah, okay- I just wanted to talk to my friend for a second-”  
“You need a membership.”  
“Believe me, I’m not interested in using any of your machines. Can I just talk to him?”  
The lady glared at him. “You need a membership.”  
“Lady, you can watch me the whole time. If I use any of your machines, you can charge me for a membership.”  
The lady didn’t look thrilled about this, but she nodded. “Fine. But I’ll be watching you, headband boy.”  
Hunk sighed in relief. “Thank you, I really appreciate it!”  
He made his way over to Keith. As he got closer, he realized he had a long, slightly ugly scar slashing across his left shoulder. He also had a fair amount of smaller scars trailing across his back. Most of them were white from age, but still noticeable against his skin. Hunk didn’t even realize he was staring until Keith turned around to glare at him.  
“What do you want?” He hissed, punching the bag in front of him. His dark hair fell out of his ponytail and into his face, slightly damp and scraggly from the sweat. Up close, Keith’s scowl looked almost predatory. Still, Hunk recognized it as a defense mechanism, not an offensive one. It was something Keith used to shield himself from his own vulnerabilities. Hunk could deal with his rudeness if he kept this in mind. He cleared his throat.  
“Are you okay?”  
“I’m amazing,” Keith spat. He turned and returned to beating into the bag.  
“Yeah, don’t really believe that dude.”  
Keith ignored him.  
“Hey. Um. I know we’re not best friends, or anything but- I can see you’re upset-”  
“I’m.Not.Upset.” Keith said it through gritted teeth, between each punch.  
“Right. Not upset. Okay, well, whatever happened between you and Pidge-”  
“NOTHING HAPPENED BETWEEN ME AND PIDGE!”  
Hunk jumped and bumped into one of the machines as Keith shrieked. Gosh, he did not expect him to be this explosive. A few older people stared at them from the weight machines. An older woman looked at Keith as if he was a feral beast. Keith slumped a bit as the numerous eyes fell on him. He breathed out deeply, cursing under his breath. He threw his gloves on the floor and stalked off to the locker room. Hunk stood there gaping for a second before he decided to run after him.  
He found Keith with his back turned to him, pulling a grey shirt over his head. Hunk took a deep breath.  
“Keith-” he spoke softly.  
Keith didn’t answer. He just sat down on the bench and buried his face in his hands. Hunk stood there for a second, unsure of what to do. His first instinct was to try and comfort him. He wasn’t entirely convinced that Keith wouldn’t sock him in the face if he tried. Wow, he was not prepared for this.  
He hovered over him awkwardly. He placed a hand on his shoulder. Keith tensed, but he didn’t resist.  
“Uhh...do you- want to talk?” Hunk tried.  
“No.”  
“That’s fine- it might just help though, you know? Suppressing stuff and keeping it all in will only make it worse.”  
Hunk took a seat next to him, careful not to sit too close. Keith still had his face buried in his hands, his body slightly slumped over.  
“I don’t know what you’re thinking right now, but if you need someone, I’m right here.” Hunk sat there and waited. He noticed a slight tremor ripple through Keith’s body. He was shaking. From anger- from sadness- Hunk didn’t know. He reached out hesitantly. He placed his hand on Keith’s back and started to rub soothing circles. At first, Keith became stiff at the physical contact. As Hunk continued, he melted into the touch. Hunk ignored the strange look he received from a young man walking into the locker room. Keith sighed, removing his hands from his face. He didn’t turn to look at him, but now Hunk could see his eyes. Hunk’s eyes grew wide as he noticed glossy tears emerging and beading in Keith’s dark lash. Hunk almost shut down. Keith Kogane- crying? Hunk froze, momentarily. He regained himself, clearing his throat.  
“What- what happened?” He asked, still transfixed.  
“I messed up,” Keith mumbled. “As always.”  
“I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”  
“Yeah but it doesn’t matter.” Keith whispered. He hung his head.  
“Why not?”  
Keith scrubbed at his eyes furiously, averting his gaze. “Doesn’t matter.”  
“If it makes you upset it matters.”  
Keith scoffed at this. He stood up, suddenly.  
“I’m going home.”  
Hunk walked out with him, sending the lady at the front desk a nervous smile. She glared at him until she saw Keith’s teary face. She pursed her lips and nodded as they walked outside.  
“I can drive you home,” Hunk offered.  
“I’m not a child. I have my motorcycle. Uh. Thanks though,” Keith said, not looking him in the eye.  
Hunk nodded.  
“And uh- thanks for- trying to help. Even though I’m difficult.’  
“Anytime bro.”


End file.
